


A Thing

by anemptymargin



Category: Actor RPF
Genre: M/M, Old work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-04-14
Updated: 2003-04-14
Packaged: 2017-10-16 04:12:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/168289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anemptymargin/pseuds/anemptymargin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ted thinks about the...thing he has with Bruce.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Thing

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is old and way out of warranty, as such no service will be offered. Posted unedited and its original format.

Ted was in that slow moment, just drifting off to sleep, when the beeping of his watch pulled him back to the waking world. It was six in the morning in Detroit (Where he'd been staying until two days previous and apparently forgotten to change his watch). Of course, he was no where near Michigan, he was in room 242 in a Motel 6 in some small town in Northern California. It was actually three am.

He could feel the gentle rise and fall of Bruce's breathing as the other man held him close. He remembered all too suddenly why he was there to begin with. Bruce had been doing some work up in Oregon and was invited to the California border to visit some friends. One ring of Ted's phone and they'd agreed to meet in the middle in a town too small to notice them.

"I've missed you." The words sounded a little fake out of Bruce's mouth as they began the delicate dance of their...whatever it was. It was the same thing every time. Bruce would call, or sometimes Ted, and they'd pick a neutral location, some cheap motel usually, to meet. Ted would pay for the room, always a double on the second floor. Bruce would buy dinner, sometimes out but usually in. They would have a couple beers, watch some television and catch up on everything that had happened in the last few weeks since they'd seen each other. Somehow, though they started out sitting on separate beds, by about midnight they'd be sitting right next to each other. Ted would lean his head on Bruce's shoulder until his lips began to explore the exposed flesh. And then, well, they would get down to what they'd actually met up to do.

Now, with his lover sleeping soundly, Ted was wide-awake. He pulled himself off the double bed and out of Bruce's embrace, then pulled on his discarded gray sweat suit. As an afterthought, he dug into his overnight bag and retrieved the cigarette case he'd bought in New Zealand a few years back, when they were still doing the show and things were all right.

He lit up as he stepped out the door and onto the balcony. As he felt the slow burn touch his lungs, he held back a ragged cough. Ted wasn't usually a smoker...in fact, he couldn't even remember when he'd bought the pack he was barely halfway through. It just felt good to smoke sometimes, when he was stressed out or just had a lot on his mind. Usually he had a cigarette after his meetings with Bruce.

He crossed his free arm over his chest as he watched the drizzle turn into a downpour. The familiar warmth of precious guilt wrapping around him. He couldn't believe he had slipped again. Every time they'd gotten together in the last...ten years or so...he swore to himself that it wouldn't happen again...that he couldn't do it anymore. But he always came running when the cell phone rang.

Fifteen years since the first time it had happened, almost to the day. Sometimes months passed between their secret encounters, sometimes only days...but when it was over they parted like the best of friends. With a warm hug and a hearty pat on the back. Ted closed his eyes as the memory washed over him, pushing a thin plume of smoke out his lips. Fifteen years was a long time to wait, to keep wishing for something he knew he could never have.

Since the shows were pulled, they'd seen less and less of each other. It had been almost six weeks since they'd met at a Holiday Inn in Tampa. It was looking like they may be filming similar days for Sam soon, both doing cameos in his big project...Spiderman. From what Ivan had said, the whole family was going to be meeting up at Sam's rental house in Los Angeles in a couple weeks to celebrate. Of course, Bruce was invited.

"Hey, kid." Bruce startled him out of his thoughts. Silently embarrassed at being called a kid at nearly 35, Bruce crushed out his cigarette on the railing and tossed it down to the parking lot below. "Couldn't sleep?"

Ted shrugged. "I was thinking." He paused a moment as Bruce's strong hands grabbed him by the hips and his wet lips were at Ted's throat. Quickly he added, "I think I'm going to go downstairs and get a Coke from the vending machine."

"Okay." Bruce slowly pulled away, his fingertips lingering a moment. "Oh, hey..."

Ted turned as Bruce walked back into the room, the storm raging on around them. "Yeah?"

"Get me one?"

"Sure, Bruce. Anytime."

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone involved belongs to themselves and their creators. This is a work of fiction intended for fun and not profit. I've made no money off this venture and live only off the love of good fic.


End file.
